Insurance claim management

• US 20070027725A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Dirnberger, Erwin, Wehrmann, Dirk, Knipp, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A technique for evaluating insurance claim management may determine a target value for average loss costs per claim in a given planning period based on a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in a predetermined base period. In addition, a performance indicator indicative of the performance of insurance claim management may be determined based on a difference between the determined target value and actually achieved average loss costs per claim in said planning period. Related apparatuses, systems, articles of manufacture are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating insurance claim management, the method comprising:

determining a target value for average loss costs per claim in a planning period based on a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in a predetermined base period; and

determining a performance indicator based on a difference between the determined target value and actually achieved average loss costs per claim for the planning period.

2. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the determined performance indicator is indicative of insurance claim management performance.

3. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the target value comprises extrapolating a baseline obtained by a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in the predetermined base period.

4. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the performance indicator is determined as a difference between the target value and the actually achieved average loss costs per claim.

5. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the target value is determined by a linear regression analysis of the average loss costs per claim in the predetermined base period.

6. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, further comprising normalizing the average loss costs per claim.

7. A computer-implemented method as in claim 5, wherein said normalizing comprises excluding sub-groups of claims corresponding to one or more of:

major damages, natural events, and damages with small or greatly fluctuating number in the claim portfolio.

8. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, further comprising indexing the average loss costs per claim.

9. A computer-implemented method as in claim 7, wherein the indexing comprises one or more of:

price indexing, condition indexing, and portfolio indexing.

10. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the target value comprises segmenting an initial claims portfolio into a plurality of substantially homogeneous sub-groups.

11. A computer-implemented method as in claim 9, wherein the segmenting is based on at least one of segmentation criteria including:

class of business, class of insurance, type of damage, cause of damage, object or risk insured, type of payment, sum insured, costs of damage class, and characteristics of insurance holder.

12. A computer-implemented method as in claim 9, wherein the segmenting comprises imposing at least one of the following requirements:

sub-group size, number of subgroups, or time stability of the average amount of loses within the sub-groups.

13. A computer-implemented method as in claim 9, the segmenting comprises:

adjusting the current segmentation; and

excluding predetermined damages.

14. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, further comprising excluding claims for which the average loss costs per claim is substantially unaffected by claim management.

16. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, further comprising performing qualitative analysis of insurance claim data.

17. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein said loss costs include at least one of compensation paid to at least one claimant and compensation paid to the insured.

18. A computer-implemented method as in claim 17, wherein said loss costs are adjusted by deducing recourse payments from the compensation paid to the insured.

19. A computer-implemented method as in claim 17, wherein said loss costs may further comprise at least one of costs selected from a group comprising:

loss adjustment, expenses paid to claims adjusters, expenses paid to layers, or expenses paid to external experts.

15. A computer-implemented method, further comprising collecting data of the average loss costs per claim, wherein the collecting data includes accessing a database storing data related to insurance claims.

20. A machine-readable medium storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer cause said computer to execute the following:

determining a target value for average loss costs per claim in a planning period based on regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in a predetermined base period; and

determining a performance indicator based on a difference between the determined target value and actually achieved average loss costs per claim for the planning period.

21. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, wherein the determined performance indicator is indicative of insurance claim management performance.

22. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, wherein the determining the target value comprises extrapolating a baseline obtained by a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in the predetermined base period.

23. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, wherein the performance indicator is determined as a difference between the target value and the actually achieved average loss costs per claim.

24. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, wherein the target value is determined by a linear regression analysis of the average loss costs per claim in the predetermined base period.

25. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions which executed in a computer cause said computer to normalize the average loss costs per claim.

26. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions which executed in a computer cause said computer to index the average loss costs per claim.

27. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions which executed in a computer cause said computer to excluding claims for which the average loss costs per claim is substantially unaffected by claim management.

28. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions which executed in a computer cause said computer to collect data of the average loss costs per claim, wherein the collecting data comprises accessing a database storing data related to insurance claims.

29. A machine-readable medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions which executed in a computer cause said computer to perform a qualitative analysis of said insurance claim data.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a target value determination tool to determine a target value for average loss costs per claim in a given planning period based on a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in a predetermined base period; and

an evaluation tool to determine a performance indicator based on a difference between the determined target value and actually achieved average loss costs per claim for the planning period.

31. An apparatus as in claim 30, further comprising a baseline calculation tool to determine a baseline by a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in the predetermined base period and wherein the target value is determined by extrapolating said baseline.

32. A system for evaluating an insurance claim management comprising:

a computing device;

at least one memory operably connected to said computing device, said memory storing data of the average loss costs per claim over a predetermined base period;

a memory access tool allowing a user to access said memory; and

an insurance claim management evaluation tool comprising

a target value determination tool to determine a target value for average loss costs per claim in a given planning period based on a regression analysis of average loss costs per claim in a predetermined base period; and

an evaluation tool to determine a performance indicator based on a difference between the determined target value and actually achieved average loss costs per claim for the planning period.